Erode Corporation Commissioner and Returning Officer for the constituency, K Sivakumar has said that the final number of candidates contesting the bypoll is 77.

While 83 nominations were accepted after scrutiny, six candidates including AM Siva Prashanth of TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) had withdrawn their nominations, bringing down the number of contestants to 77.

The AMMK had withdrawn from the contest because the Election Commission (EC) had refused to grant it the 'pressure cooker' symbol that it wanted.

KS Thennarasu of the Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was allotted the 'two-leaves' symbol.

The cooker symbol was allotted to KPM Raja of the Kongu Desa Marumalarchi Makkal Katchi, after a draw of lots.

Menaka Navaneethan of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) would contest using the 'sugarcane farmer' symbol.

Meanwhile, EPS has said that he is confident of victory because, after nearly two years of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) rule, there is a strong feeling of anti-incumbency among the people.

He added that it is the fear of defeat that had made the DMK bring many of its senior ministers like KN Nehru, Anbil Mahesh, Senthil Balaji and P Sekar Babu to campaign in the constituency.

Polling is scheduled for 27 February and the counting of votes would be done on 2 March.

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